Chapter 5 - Unknown Realms

~ But just because you bury something, that doesn’t mean it stops existing. – Jenny Han ~

"Khushi Kumari Gupta right?" Shyam questioned suddenly, his eyes thoughtful, slightly sinister as his mouth twisted up into a snarl. "I want you to bring her here right now," he instructed with finality.

"But sir..." Aakash tried only to be cut off.

"I don't want any buts Aakash! I want that girl here now!" He exclaimed then walked off knowing fully well that his right hand man would once again not fail him. She looked like her and now he wanted her. No she would be his!

****

Khushi bent down and touched the soft petals, tracing her fingers through the narrow ridges of the long white surface. Lilies; startlingly white against the old grey gravestones and she couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes. Her mind began to jump to all sorts of conclusions and she couldn't understand any of them. No one from her past was left so who would know or care to place flowers there. Was there something that she didn't know? Did someone survive, her eyes widened then. Did he survive? She shook her head, gulping down her tears. No she couldn't afford to think about that now, bring up hopes for a past that she constantly spent running away from, constantly tried to forget. She closed her eyes for a few seconds letting the tears streak down her cheeks as memories, in their dozens flashed through her mind; the laughter of children, their feet hitting off of the ground as they chased each other round, her mother's voice calling out to her,

Khushi! Come for lunch!

His anger that flared quickly and then dissipated just as suddenly, small pink dresses, ribbons, the jingle of familiar bells. She ran her fingers over the cool metal of her anklets, closing her eyes again to see her mothers face, her soothing voice, her comforting gaze, the warmth of her embrace. This had been a wrong decision, she should not have come back. Her eyes snapped wide suddenly, her breath hitching in her throat, the flood of memories seizing momentarily for reality, the present to come to the forefront. Someone had been here, someone that was connected to her past and they could possibly still be here. It was as if her limbs were frozen to the spot, quickly gathering herself she moved away from the gravestones, turning around in a circle to see if there was even so much as a distant shadow but failed to see one. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and hurried off in the other direction, hoping to god that the person had not left.

****

He hated coming; the place, the eerie silence brought back too many memories. Brought back the reality of what had happened with full force, but he allowed himself just this day, just this day every year to let his mind wander back and relive it in all its heartbreak because he owed it to all that he had lost and to all that it had helped him become. If he could he would have gone back in time, reversed it all, taken back the childhood that he had so horrifically lost, but he couldn't, so he did the only thing he could; move on with the broken pieces. Today was slighly different though, there seemed to be a change to the winds. It was as if someone else was here, as if he was not alone but he dismissed that thought just as suddenly as it had occurred. Thinking about his past and the many possible outcomes only brought back pain. He felt slightly more at calm today, he let himself wander down to the large oak tree, she hadn't turned up and that allowed him to feel more at peace with himself.

He watched quietly as the large branches of the tree swayed in all it's glory, seemingly unaware to the tragedy that it stood in the midst of. The large cement wall around what it stood on lay in crumbled ruins, only the bottom foundations completely intact and he could vaguely remember that the leaves weren't as bright as they had been. Stuffing his hands inside his pockets he looked down at the ground for a few seconds, letting the thoughts rushing through his mind just continue, letting himself go for just this day, then closing his eyes for a few seconds he took a deep breath in. Like every other year, it was now time for him to leave and forget and move on with the carefully fenced life that he had formed around himself. He didn't attempt a backward glance as he strode out through the old metal gate.

****

Khushi finally sat down at a table, scraping the chair back as she continued to catch her breath. She fanned herself with her dupatta, almost gulping for air.

"Can I just get a glass of water please, thanks," she requested from the little boy that approached her table. She'd searched left right and center for whoever could have been there, but there had been no traces of them. She'd started running, thinking that she'd just have to catch them before they left and all she had managed to catch a glimpse of was a retreating back. And now she felt even that was some sort of formation of her already overactive imagination. She rolled her eyes as she grabbed the glass of water that was offered and gulped it down in a hurry, it just all felt so silly.

She started looking around the little cafe then, it was midday and so it was busy, a lot of people possibly on their lunch breaks, couples chatting away with each other. A small smile hit her face, she liked it when other people were happy, it made her happy too. She let her eyes wander over each face and suddenly her eyes rounded, it was almost as if she stopped breathing for a few seconds. Narrowing her eyes she attempted a closer look at his side profile; the high jawline, the perfect stubble, it was definitely him. A dozen thoughts began to roam through her mind then, what was he doing here? Lucknow? Why was he in Lucknow out of all the places? Was he following her? That thought scared her; she didn't like the people Aakash hung out with, they seemed dangerous and she knew they were the type that would follow a girl if they took a liking. Enough was enough! He was already haunting her dreams and now when she'd finally packed and came to Lucknow he was here too. She stood up then, bundling her little bag in her hands and stormed over towards him.

Arnav looked up suddenly and his eyes widened instantly. He watched her fuming face for a few seconds, unable to fathom what was going on, not sure how he felt about her being in Lucknow.

"Are you following me?!" She exclaimed suddenly, surprising him all the more, her hazel eyes flaring.

"Excuse me?" He questioned, completely thrown off.

"I asked if you were following me! It's a simple question with a yes or no answer," she continued then just as he stood up, his stance too dominating for her to keep her strength up and she automatically took a few steps back.

"I think there's something wrong with you!" The annoyance was clear in his voice.

"No there's something wrong with you! I don't need this okay! And I'm not interested! So stop following me! Stop trying to save me! God knows you are probably creating situations so that you can save me out of them," she began to ramble on, almost as if she was talking to herself, all of those bottled up feelings, disappointments, anger resurfacing.

He looked around the cafe, people were watching them, watching as this bizarre scene unfolded infront of them, he felt his anger take over then and cutting her mid-sentence he grabbed her arm, tight enough to leave marks and dragged her outside. She first looked at him in surprise, not having expected him to lash out then as the pain finally hit her she struggled within his grasp.

"Let me go! Let me go!" She screamed as his fingers dug into the flesh of her arm even deeper and he finally flung her out of his grip in a corner behind the cafe.

"Shut up!" He shouted just as she opened her mouth to speak again. "I don't know who the hell you are and what the hell you want! But I'm not following you! And nor do I have intention to! And nor am I interested in you! So I suggest you pop that little bubble of yours before it conjures up even more pathetic fantasies!" He exclaimed, his jaw set, his caramel eyes dark and foreboding.

Her lips quivered slightly as she struggled for a response. What was she supposed to say to that? She watched his charred caramel orbs for a moment. The intensity in them somewhat frightening. "I erm... I," she struggled.

"You what?!" He cut in angrily, the annoyance that had brewed up inside him now approaching a point where he thought he would snap.

She tried again when her phone suddenly began to ring, cutting her out of her thoughts. She picked it up hurriedly, thanking Devi Mayya for the saving grace.

"Khushi thithaliya! Don't come home," it was Buaji's voice, a harsh whisper and Khushi felt a shiver run down her spine as she processed this fact.

"But buaji why?" She questioned gulping down her fears.

"Thithaliya there were men here looking for you, scary looking men," she continued to speak in a whisper whilst Khushi felt her whole body begin to shake with fear, her eyes wide open, her lips quivering.

After watching her for a few seconds he had decided on just leaving when he suddenly witnessed the colour drain out of her face, her body almost tremble with fear, causing him automatically to stop in his tracks. He turned to face her completely again then, watching the contours of her face intently as they passed through varying shades of fear.

"M... Men?" She gulped as his eyes widened, "but buaji which men?" Her voice was shaky and she was finding it difficult to breathe.

"I don't know! They didn't tell me! They knew you were here and they searched the whole house and only then did they leave. Khushi you need to get out of here, get out of Lucknow. Go back to Delhi," her Buaji spoke hurriedly into the phone, her eyes flitting back and forth around the room as she watched to see if they were anywhere near.

"L...Leave Lucknow? But... But Buaji, I... I where would I, I mean at this time?" She struggled, unable to comprehend anything that was going on as Arnav took a few seps closer to her, it was almost as if his feet were moving their own accord.

****

She walked out, the long back of the lehenga sweeping the floor behind her, it's snug fit revealing the curves of her body perfectly, the neck of her blouse cut deep down, her bossoms pushed up. She wore minimal jewellery; it was just not the style these days. Her normally long straight hair was curled and lay loose, the front few strands of it framing her face. She wore loud make-up; on too many occasions in the past when she had not had this position a constant remark that she had always hated was the fact that people thought she looked too innocent. She had gotten rid of that now, the loud red lipstick, the rouge blush, the heavily kohled eyes took that away from her a little. She lifted her hand to brush a strand of hair off of her face, the large kangans on her hand clashing and tinkling against each other. The large payals on her feet chan-channed as she took slow deliberate steps towards him, her bare mehendi'd feet softly hitting the floor.

She smiled seductively, bringing her finger to his face and tracing a line towards his jaw as she moved closer and placed her other hand on his chest.

"Well well Shyam, you've sure took your time," she mumbled as she traced her hand down his arm and clasping his hand in hers started leading him to the back; to her room, already planning in her mind how she would take his fantasies forward tonight. "Oh I have missed you Angelica," he mumbled behind her, his drunken state all too obvious.

****

"There! Isn't that her!" Arnav's head snapped up as he saw a dark man with a beard and scar under his left eye, watching Khushi with leering eyes and then as another joined him, there steps hurried as they began running there way.

"But buaji, I can't leave at this time," she continued to mutter into the phone when someone suddenly grabbed her hand. She looked up then, completely shaken only for her gaze to clash with orbs of caramel.

"We need to run!" He exclaimed, tightening the grasp on her hand just as she spotted them, reeling her back into her memory all of a sudden, of a night just like this, of another nightmare just like this.

"It's her! It's her! Catch her before she gets away!" They screamed, as her eyes widened in horror; it was as if her legs were refusing to move.

"Come on! You need to hurry! We need to get out of here! NOW!" He shouted, pulling on her as she stood frozen to the ground, shocked to the core.

"Come on!" He shouted again, pulling on her arm harshly when she snapped out of her thoughts momentarily and began to blindly follow him, frightening thoughts flashing through her mind all the while. Scary men that she had never seen in her life were after her and she was now following this other man who seemed to be following her too. She began to loosen her hand in his when his grasp tightened again, his jaw tight with determination as he ran with his gaze focused in front of him.

She watched in silent confusion, in shock as he approached a ramshackle building that was all too familiar from her past. It was broken now, in ruins, it had used to be a shop. Her eyes rounded as he pulled her towards the back of it, moving a piece of rug away with his feet to reveal an entrance to the basement down below and she gulped loudly, not quite sure how he knew about the place as he yanked the door up.


Yes another slightly confusing update ;). But I have now introduced all of the characters barr one so the story literally starts here! And more Arshi in the next chapter? I think so ;).